The Nighthawking Survey
Illicit Metal Detecting ('Nighthawking')
A partnership of leading Heritage organisations are conducting The Nighthawking Survey, a major investigation into the problem of nighthawking - the illegal search for and removal of antiquities from the ground using metal detectors, without the permission of the landowners.
Not only does nighthawking damage archaeological and historical sites, it can cause great distress and disruption to farmers and landowners, and it blackens the reputation of law-abiding metal detectorists, who contribute much to the understanding of our past.
The practice of nighthawking has been around for more than three decades, and there is plenty of anecdotal information about it, but attempts to stop it have been hampered by a lack of hard information on the extent of the problem. How widespread a problem is it? Where does it occur? How often does it occur? How many people are involved? What happens to the stolen material?
The survey covers the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, and the Crown Dependencies of The Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey and is being undertaken by Oxford Archaeology. The project is funded by English Heritage, Historic Scotland, Cadw, The National Museum Wales and the Portable Antiquities Scheme, with support from Guernsey Museums, Jersey Heritage Trust, Manx National Heritage, National Museum of Scotland and Northern Ireland (Environment and Heritage Service).
The centrepiece of this survey is an online questionnaire, open now and open until the end of 2007, aimed at members of the public, metal detectorists, archaeologists, landowners, antiquities dealers - anybody who may have information on nighthawking. The questionnaire will be backed up by voluntary personal interviews, and a review of the current legislation and its effectiveness. The aim of the survey is to provide information that will help the political and law enforcement agencies to devise ways to combat nighthawking and help preserve our heritage.
The questionnaire is available at www.nighthawking.thehumanjourney.net
The questionnaire will remain open until the end of 2007. For further information enquiries should be directed to nighthawking@oxfordarch.co.uk